The background description provided herein is for generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art or suggestions of the prior art by inclusion in this section.
A pet door is a small portal in a wall, window or door to allow pets to access a dwelling or structures alike on their own. Some pet doors could be simple openings without a cover. Some pet doors may be equipped with a hinged or spring-loaded panel or flexible flap. More advanced pet doors may be electronically controlled. In general, the size of a pet door is calculated to be big enough to allow the pet access, but small enough to protect against undesirable weather conditions and larger-bodied intruders.
Pet access control, e.g., via a pet door, may be beneficial to millions of pet owners and their pets. For example, it is estimated that more than half of U.S. households own at least one pet. In many cases, pet owners may need to work or attend school most of the day. However, their pets may need to enter or exit a dwelling periodically throughout the day and may still need attention from or desire some interaction with their owners. On the other hand, pet owners may want to be responsible for the care and well-being of their pets or manage their pets' behavior while the pets are unsupervised.